Live
by the real narnia
Summary: Twin Paradox Slayer Theory AU, taken to another level. Five kids travel from X794 to X774, and start anew.
1. Prologue

***On the fifth night of Chanukah the-real-narnia gave to me:**

 **the start of a new series***

 **I'M SORRY.**

 **But this is only a seven shot, and I've got most of it written, anyway.**

 **This follows the Twin Paradox Slayers Theory, but I bumped it up to another level.**

 **Because I'm a little shit like that.**

 **And y'all know I don't ship Miraxus, but two people can have a kid together without love. And Laxus is a slut, anyway.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Five children stood at a gate. The oldest two were the only ones awake.

"Do we have to do this?" the pixie-sized woman asked, kneeling down and hugging her son. The black-haired boy hugged her back, and started to cry.

"You know we need to," a blonde-haired woman said, hugging a blonde-haired boy to her chest.

"This is the _only_ thing you could come up with?" a red-headed woman demanded.

The blonde girl nodded. "It's…our- no, _their_ only chance."

The five fathers stood to the side, on the lookout for any dragons inbound.

"They should've said their goodbyes underground," the black, short-haired one said.

The pinkette snorted. "You're just saying that 'cause you can't say goodbye anymore. Because you _froze_ your kid."

"We don't know what'll happen on the other side of the gate," the man replied. "It's just a precaution."

"It's stupid."

"You're stupid!"

"Not as stupid as you, Ice Princess!"

"Oh, yeah, Flame Brain?"

" _Quiet_." It was hissed by the largest man among them, an intimidating blonde that radiated power and smelled like storms. " _Don't forget where we are_."

Both boys calmed down, and looked at the man, who they saw shedding tears, for only the third time in their lives; the other ones only when they had had to leave his grandfather behind…except the most recent of those times, they couldn't go back for him.

Next to him, the bluenette man with a red sigil across his face didn't seem much better off, and the other three men exchanged glances. They were saying goodbye to their sons.

The other two had to give up their daughters.

It was obviously hitting them hard, even though they had already said goodbye.

The last man, with a mane of long dark hair, put a hand on the blonde man's shoulder. "You know this is for the best."

"Doesn't mean we have to like it," the bluenette said bitterly.

They all turned back to the five women, who were making sure that their children were ready for the journey.

The longest haired bluenette tucked the frozen baby into a basket while the white-haired woman tucked her daughter into something similar.

The blonde-haired woman knelt down to the two awake boys, next to the bluenette pixie. "Now, remember, boys. You're-"

"Brothers in all but blood," the two boys interrupted.

The two girls smiled at each other, tears in their eyes as they hugged their kids one last time.

"You boys behave now, okay?" the studded man with a mane of dark hair barked at them, rubbing the black-haired kid's head.

"Yes, Uncle!" the blonde-haired kid smiled, and he was scooped off the ground one last time by his pink-haired father, who threw him up and caught him.

"Oi, you should be giving the last of your attention to _me_!"

"Okay, Daddy," the boy giggled.

"Just like your mother," the man said, nuzzling his son's head. "A light in the darkness."

At that moment, a roar rang through the city, and it was soon echoed by many others.

"You guys need to go, now." The white-haired woman pushed the kids towards the gate.

"But what about you guys?" the blonde kid cried.

"We'll be fine," his mother reassured him, moving him gently towards the gate. "But you both need to go."

"One by one?" the long blue-haired woman asked, holding her baby encased in ice.

"That's the only way it will work," the other blue-haired woman replied, checking the date again. "Alright, we should be good. It's set for exactly twenty years ago."

The first dragon dropped from the sky, and giving the small white-haired baby a kiss, the blonde man went for it, bustling with electricity as he punched it across the town.

The white-haired woman kissed her daughter and gently pushed her through the gate, before turning and joining the battle.

"But we don't want to leave you," the black-haired kid protested.

"But you need to, I'm sorry," his father said, kissing his forehead, before turning and joining the other dragon slayer in the sky.

"Are you going too, Daddy?" the blonde-haired boy asked.

"I'm afraid so," the pinkette said, squeezing his son's shoulders. "Be strong, son. And know that whatever you do, you will make us proud."

He turned and joined the battle as the blonde-haired woman took his place, hugging her son one last time and kissing his forehead. "We love you _so, SO_ much."

"I love you too, Mommy," he said, squeezing around her middle hard.

The long-blue haired woman put her ice-encased baby through the Gate.

" _Open, Gates of the Lion and Bull! Loke! Taurus!_ "

"Mommy, do you have to go?" the blonde kid cried.

"You know the rule."

He nodded, and together they said. "'We fight _with_ our friends.'"

She smiled one last time and returned to the fight, crackling a whip made of water and tangling a dragon up in it.

With a kiss on his daughter's forehead, the bluenette man pushed her through the Gate and joined his red-headed wife in battle.

"We need to go," the black-haired boy told his brother, pulling him towards the Gate.

"I know," the blonde said, following him.

The black-haired boy went through the Gate, and with one look back, the blonde began to follow.

He froze, half in the gate as his mother screamed and was picked up by a dragon.

"MOMMY!" he screamed. He began struggling to pull himself out of the gate, but he was still being dragged in.

His father was screaming, and a man of lightning and a man of iron killed the dragon, causing it to drop his mother.

His father was racing to her, but he was slow, and wasn't able to catch her in time.

The last image the kid saw was his mother dying, his father cradling her bloodied head as he was yanked away to the past.


	2. Sting

***On the sixth day of Chanukah the-real-narnia gave to me:**

 **A hidden memory.***

* * *

 **Sting**

He had that dream again.

Sting woke up with a gasp, shaking.

He doesn't remember much of anything before Weisslogia took him in. But there are a few things he does remember.

When he thinks of his father, he feels warmth, and when he thinks of his mother, he sees light. He only has one memory of them, and even then, it isn't clear. He can't see their faces, but he can tell that it's his mom who is wounded, and lays dying on the floor. She's sprawled out, looking away from Sting, her golden hair becoming stained in her blood.

His father runs to her, and pulls her into his arms. Sting can't see his father's face either, and the flickering of the flames and dim lighting make it difficult to see his father's hair color, but he can tell it's as spiky as his, and it's where he gets it from.

Sometimes he can hear a tinkling laugh, and a woman's voice – his mother's – saying, "You smile just like your father, Jude."

Jude. He _knows_ that it's his real name, but he feels like it doesn't fit him. Just like how 'Rogue' suits the Shadow Dragon Slayer better than 'Ryos' does. Especially because it can mean both 'light' and 'dragon' which fits Sting a hell of a lot better than his partner.

But both of them have their given names, and both of them have changed their own, because it's not who they are anymore.

People who knew Rogue from a young age also know him by Ryos, but Sting had never told anyone his real name, not even Rogue or Lector.

No one, other than him, needs to know.

Still…how he would love to hear the beautiful voice of his mother, just one last time, speaking his name.

* * *

It's the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games, and Sting is bored. Minerva is participating in the opening act, so it's no surprise on how it will turn out, even though it hasn't started yet.

He looks around, and sees Fairy Tail cheering for their participants, getting ready.

He doesn't understand them.

He was like that once. Weak. Relying on others.

But every time he had done it in the past, he had lost them. Been betrayed.

He knew that his parents didn't want to leave him. Or that Weisslogia had no choice.

But he'd been broken far too many times to ever try that again.

Even now, with Lector, and Rogue, he depends on them too much. If Lector was to die, or Rogue to stab him in the back, it would ruin him.

But he's far too deep into relationships with them now, and backing out will only get him hurt worse.

After losing his parents, and killing Weisslogia, and the way he was treated as a child, he doesn't find it surprising he's so closed off – though he's nowhere near as closed off as Rogue is.

The match begins, and he watches as the first one to move is the blonde from Fairy Tail, summoning Aquarius from the Celestial Spirit Realm.

Rufus tuts beside him, and Sting rolls his eyes before indulging in Rufus, who wanted to comment but refused to take the first step.

Maybe he's too close to Rufus, and even Orga, too.

Not Minerva, though. He wouldn't give a damn if that bitch vanished off the face of the earth…even if he pretended otherwise.

But you don't out-rightly oppose the daughter of your guildmaster.

Especially if she can kick your ass.

"What is it?" Sting asks.

"That girl…I remember her. Lucy Heartfilia," Rufus says, looking at her. "She'll be no match for Milady, but it will certainly be an interesting fight. She is infinitely more powerful than Yukino ever was."

Something deep inside Sting, where his dragon resides, feels both immense pleasure and immense anger at this statement.

He shoves those instincts deeper, locks them up. He'd been ignoring the instinct to find family and friends for years now, and he no longer had any interest in what his dragon had to say unless he was fighting.

Rogue and Lector (and maybe even Frosch, Rufus and Orga) were enough for him, but if they weren't anymore, then he'd _make_ them.

Sting is brought back to reality by Rufus's impressed look. "My my, she can summon two spirits at once like _that_?"

He's getting annoyed again. "I don't see what the big deal is. So could Yukino."

"Yes…" Rufus says. "But Miss Heartfilia can summon them _without_ their incantations, and hold two golden gates open at once. I'm also told that Virgo's gate is one of the stronger ones, so it's harder to hold open."

"I don't get why you're so impressed." _Plus, weren't Pisces and Libra supposed to be hard to summon, too?_

"Make no mistake, I was as ashamed by our performance on Tuesday as much as anyone else," Rufus comments. "But Yukino was quite an adept Celestial Wizard. Generally, they must have a larger magical core than anyone else. In order to summon a spirit, one must travel to their gate, hold open their gate constantly, and supply them with magic so the spirits stay in this world and can fight. If we were to measure pure magical power, like on the MPF used yesterday, I'm sure that Miss Heartfilia would rank the highest score of her team."

Sting sits up at that. "Even _Natsu?_ Or Erza?"

Rufus nods. "We've had yet to really see him fight, with the exception of his attack on our hotel, but unless he was extremely fueled by his emotions, he would probably rank on a lower level than she would. It seems as if he's more powerful the more passionate he is, and if he's just fighting for fun, I doubt it would be as strong as otherwise. In addition, if Miss Heartfilia used the spell she was going to use on Monday against the Raven Tail girl, she would probably do just as much damage to the machine as Cana."

Sting gapes at him. "But…she didn't finish the spell last time. She's not strong enough."

But oh, just for a second there – before the spell failed - he had been impressed.

"Please, don't tell me you didn't notice, Sting," Rufus says. "I'm sure even Orga noticed."

"Noticed what?" Orga asks, distracted, as he was busy watching extremely attractive girls fight in water.

"That Raven Tail cheated."

"Well, yeah," Orga grunts. "I mean, that's why they got disqualified, right?"

"No, I mean in the match with Miss Heartfilia," Rufus clarifies.

"Who?" Orga grunts.

Rufus sighs and pointed at the girl in the water.

"Ohhh, you mean the busty bombshell," Orga smirks, and once again, Sting's dragon rises over annoyance at his words. "Yeah, definitely. Someone drained her magic in the middle of the fight. Her magical presence disappeared way too quickly."

Sting looks at Rogue. "Did you notice this, too?"

"Yes." Short, sweet, and to the point. Just like Rogue.

"Was I the _only one who didn't notice_?" Sting cries.

"Yes," all three say at once.

Sting's shoulders slump, but before he can wallow too long in his obliviousness, Rufus leana in eagerly.

Turning to look back, he sees the other Fairy Tail mage on the ground; no doubt Minerva's doing. The only ones left in the water are Minerva and the blonde one.

"Milady sure is mischievous," Sting says, looking over the scene, his chin held in his palm. "She could have won right at the start, but she let them take each other out so she could conserve her magic."

Maybe mischievous, but more like dramatic. Honestly, doesn't she _ever_ give it a rest? She doesn't even really _have_ to conserve her magic; she could've pushed them all outside and won immediately, since the task was as simple as pushing them out of the water. It's not like she _really_ has to fight anyone.

"That Fairy Tail girl doesn't stand a chance," Lector says, and Sting personally agrees.

Even if she did have more magic power than the rest of her teammates, that didn't mean she was a better fighter.

Against Minerva, she would lose.

Though Rogue has an extremely solemn look on his face…

Then again, he usually did. Sting couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen him really smile.

The timer goes off, signaling that they had five minutes to get the other opponent out of the water, and into last place.

Minerva is talking about giving the audience a show, and Sting begins to feel nervous for a reason he can't quite identify.

Still, even if he doesn't know what was causing it, his dragon was yelling fiercely.

Minerva's hand lights up, and, as her attacks brutally hit the blonde, his nerves begin to act up even more.

And he can hear her, the blonde girl, muttering about getting out a spirit, and his heart soars with relief.

 _You're not supposed to root for the other team!_ He yells at himself, shoving away his dragon.

Knocking it out, locking it away, Sting finally opens his eyes and looked upon the scene, as he sees guildmate dangling a set of keys from her hands.

Though he can't help it, his heart sinks again, as he watches Lucy Heartfilia beaten savagely by Minerva.

The weak fall. He always knew that.

So why does he feel so strange?

He shakes off what _had_ to be the residual feelings from his dragon and plays it cool, smirking over at the blonde's team at Fairy Tail.

"STOP IT!" Salamander was screaming, when he noticed Sting smirking at him. The other two follow his gaze, and with their stares, time seems to freeze.

"You're gonna pay," the three members say in unison.

Sting feels a sliver of fear shiver down his spine, but he keeps the smirk on his face.

Salamander couldn't even defeat a dragon. How could he beat _him_? _Sting_?

But the look on Natsu Dragneel's face is one he'd likely never forget.

He focuses his attention back on the match, and is watching more of the brutal beatdown when he notices that Rogue isn't watching the match – instead he has his eyes closed, and is frowning.

Then again, Rogue is always frowning.

Minerva finishes her speech about the power of Sabertooth (so damn _dramatic_ ) and grabs the blonde, holding her out of the water.

Natsu Dragneel is already off of the platform and rushing towards her.

And then Minerva drops her and Sting feels his heart freeze up _again_ – but it passes as Salamander and the Ice Wizard catch her and lay her gently on the ground.

"What the hell is your problem, lady?" Natsu yells up at Minerva.

And just as Sting is going to interfere, his whole body freezes, a gasp escaping his lips. He felt his heart beat slowing down, and he looks at the scene one more time.

Blondie has rolled her head away from him.

And the scene replays in his head.

Salamander running to Blondie, catching her – and it flickers back and forth between that, and his father rushing to hold his dying mother.

His father, who's spiky hair he has, and his mother, where he got his color from.

 _No. No way._

 _Impossible._

Though stiff, he tries to turn away from the scene and faces Rufus.

"Hey, Rufus," he says, all too casually. "What was the name of Blondie's father? He was famous or something, right?"

"Hmm?" Rufus asks, looking away from the scene. "Yes. His name was Jude Heartfilia."

Jude.

Jude.

 _Jude._

All of a sudden, he hears _her_ voice again, and it's ringing in his ears. "We named you after your grandfather, Jude. Both of them, actually. Jude-Igneel. After my father, and your father's father. Well," he can hear the laugh in her voice. "After your father's _dragon_."

He never knew his middle name.

And that voice sounds so much like the blonde who had just cried in pain, as his guildmate tortured her.

His body freezes up, and this time _he sees them_.

A memory, the first real one, comes back to him. He's running around in a golden field, and his parents are lying next to each other on a picnic blanket. He's running after a flying blue cat –

His eyes dart over to Salamander's exceed.

 _A flying blue cat_.

They're talking about his last name, of all things.

"Oh, come on, Luce. What's wrong with 'Dragneel'?"

"I am not saddling our child with the drama that comes from your family name, Natsu!"

His father's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, you've got me there."

"Besides," his mother said, looking up at the sky. "The Heartfilia bloodline has always passed their name down matrimonially."

"I don't even know what it means," he said nonchalantly.

"It means that the last name is chosen from the women's line, not the man's."

The man hmmed and rolled his eyes, before he went back to observing the woman. "What'cha looking at the sky for, silly?" his father asked, looking at her looking away. "It's daytime."

"I _could_ be watching for dragons, you know," she said.

His father tensed. "They said this place was cleared."

She sighed. "I know. As for what I'm really looking at...Even if you can't see the stars, Natsu," his mother commented. "They're still there. All of my friends…" her hand brushed a series of gold and silver keys on her belt. "Are watching over us."

The man paused, before blinking and asking. "Does that mean they watch us during sex?"

"NATSU!" the girl shrieked, punching him, and he went flying off the blanket and into a tree.

Jude giggled. Even though his dad was more powerful, his mom was the _really_ scary one.

He blinks again, and Sting is back where he was before – in the Domus Flau stadium, looking down at what could _only_ be a younger version of his parents.

"Sting?" Rufus asks. "Are you alright?"

Sting blinks again and realizes he is crying. "Yeah, I'm fine," he answers quickly, wiping his tears away. "I just need some time alone, alright?"

And he runs out of there.


	3. Rogue

**Rogue**

When Rogue first met Sting, he knew he didn't remember.

Rogue is the only one who remembers.

With the exception of Sting, he's not surprised – of the five of them that went through the gate, he and Sting were the oldest.

But he and Sting were practically brothers from the start.

Honestly, Rogue isn't sure what's worse – that Sting had forgotten how close they were, or that he'd forgotten everything else.

But it doesn't surprise him. Not really. Something must have happened on his way through the gate (and of course it had, Sting was truly his father's son, after all), and whatever it was erased most of Sting's memories.

So when Sting still asks to become his partner, he is surprised.

But being the only thing he can _really_ link back (even if he doesn't remember) he's not going to give him up for a long time.

* * *

He wasn't expecting to find a dragon, ( _not now, not in_ this _time_ ) but when Skiadrum offered to train him, he couldn't say no.

So he didn't.

He stood there, staring at the large black dragon who promised that he wouldn't harm him, and remembered his father's tales of Metalicana; the dragon who had raised _him_.

"Back then," his father had said, "Before the dragons disappeared, in X777, they were all peaceful, as far as I know. Except for one."

Except for Acnologia.

But this wasn't Acnologia - he had _seen_ Acnologia, when he had attacked what remained of their guild and his parents ran off in tears, leaving behind an old man who accepted them, faults and all, and raised them as his own.

Skiadrum's black scales and red eyes reminded him of his father, and so he smiled.

* * *

And then around three years later, right before he had turned six, Rogue (still Ryos, at the time) had to say goodbye again.

After Skiadrum died – after he _killed_ him – he wandered around, lost. Now he had lost both sets of his parents, and he couldn't stand it.

He wanted his parents to say his name, one last name. He wanted to _hear them say it_.

So he went to find his Dad.

He really shouldn't have.

He had been warned, once. When the five kids and five couples sat around a campfire created by Uncle Natsu underground, and Uncle Natsu and Aunt Lucy were telling the story of how they met; of a time when Natsu still had hope in dragons.

Of a time long gone.

Jude had been so happy, and he found their story hilarious, hearing it.

And so Ryos, feeling slightly jealous of his friend (his _brother_ ) had turned to his father and mother, and asked how they met.

They had exchanged dark glances, and his father sighed. "We didn't meet in a way as nice as everyone else," he said.

"Care to challenge?" Aunt Erza asked, tone dark.

"Point," Gajeel said, acknowledging her and Uncle Jellal.

"Mommy?" their daughter asked, looking up at them, only a few months younger than Ryos himself. (And she should've remembered, by the _gods_ she should've, but she didn't).

"We'll tell you when you're older," Jellal said softly.

Gajeel turned to look his son in the eyes. "I was once a very cruel man, Ryos. And before I met your mother, I thought I would always be that way. And even when I saw her, I didn't realize what she was to me; and so I hurt her."

Her mother took his father's face in her hands. "And I forgive you for that. We all forgive you for that."

Around the circle, there were smiling faces, but his father still looked down.

And so they didn't bring it up again.

Yes. He had been warned.

Once.

But he went anyway.

And because of that, he wasn't surprised when his father wasn't the same. He was harsh, and cruel, and beat people up because he _enjoyed_ it.

And one day, when Ryos got too close, at the wrong time, he beat _him_ up.

So he stayed away, and watched.

* * *

Hiding in the shadows, he survived for another seven years, day after day, practicing his Dragon Slaying Magic and training, and watching his father; wishing he was strong enough to knock some sense into him.

He watched as his aunt, who was in the same guild (now icier than her eventual husband), stayed distant (because in _Phantom_ distance meant _survival_ ), and he watched as they went to war with _his_ guild. With _their_ guild, their _real_ guild.

He watched as his father nearly killed his other Aunt, (wanting to interfere but knowing that at he would make things worse) on the verge of beating her to death before his uncle stopped him; because she wouldn't stand down, because she ran away from home, _because he was bored_.

And worst of all; the worst thing of all was when he was watching, in the dead of night, when his father went after his mother (his sweet, beautiful mother, who had taken his fathers' face in her hands and _forgiven_ him) and strung up her and her team, beating them blacker and bluer than his parents hair, and _laughing_ the whole time.

And Ryos, who wanted so desperately to stop his father, to help them, was unable to do anything but collapse and cry.

His parents were gone, Skiadrum was dead, and _he was in the past, alone_.

And so he discarded who he was; he became a rogue.

* * *

 **Each section surrounding the kids will probably be shorter (this was meant to only be a one-shot) but the epilogue will be longer, I promise.**


	4. Yukino

**Yukino**

There is something about storms that reassure her.

Not rain; _storms._ She could do without the rain. When the clouds don't open up, but thunder strikes, lightning racing through the air and demanding that it makes way for it.

She's not sure what it is about the thunder.

But that's why she gets Aquila – she never uses her to fight, but that Silver Key is possibly the most precious to her.

She summons her when it rains, and there's no lightning, and to her, the sky feels empty.

Aquila will light up the sky for her, wishing only that her contractor would willingly summon her in a fight so she could protect her.

It is Aquila she calls when she is sad and broken, and it is Aquila who builds a home for her.

* * *

Up until the Grand Magic Games, Yukino works alone in Sabertooth.

When she hears that Minerva isn't going to make it to the Games and that she, Yukino (her, of all people!) would be taking her spot, she is shocked.

It doesn't make sense to her.

Dobengal is still available, but Jiemma picked her, and so she accepts that spot with reverence.

* * *

For a month before the Games, she is to spend time with the rest of her team.

It is long, and awkward.

Rufus is stuck up, and pretentious, but he is also gentlemanly; complementing Yukino on both her beauty and her power as a wizard.

And then he returns to being a snob.

Despite their odd relationship, she'd even say they were friends.

If they were anywhere other than Sabertooth, that is.

Orga is…okay.

She wants to know more about him, connect with him…but for one reason and one reason alone.

He has lightning.

And maybe that makes her selfish or self-absorbed or shallow, but his magic is the power of lightning, and she _loves_ lightning.

His is dark though – when it splits the clouds it doesn't light up the sky.

And because of that, she's disappointed and empty, as if she had finally found what she was searching for (and that was odd, because she wasn't searching for anything) and lost it.

She feels that, at some point, Orga would've been a good kid – that all of them could have, actually.

But they all joined Sabertooth by the time Fairy Tail disappeared for seven years. And Sabertooth was a hard place.

She feels like Sting should be joyous and light; instead he is harsh, and cold, and only accepts her as an ally because she was 'worthy in Jiemma's eyes' to be placed on the team. Before that, she was never given the time of day.

She even literally asked him once, for the time, and he told her to go away.

Of them all, Rogue is the softest.

When she talks to him about it, he tells her that he used to be in a guild like Sabertooth, but harsher.

She asks why he isn't there anymore.

He smiles at her, for the first time she'd seen him smile at anyone other than Frosch. He tells her that they were disbanded, and that the split was for the better. That it was a borderline dark guild, taking Sabertooth's ideals to the extreme, even (without expulsion for losses) encouraging members to specifically fight among themselves, and that the disbandment allowed everyone to start anew.

 _Including him._

He didn't say that part aloud, but she could hear it, underlining his words.

But she doesn't say anything about it. He obviously doesn't want to mention it.

Her team is weird, and awkward in private. They don't know what to talk about, though it usually ends up as a fight between Sting and Orga over their egos.

Despite not necessarily _liking_ Sting, she still feels closest to twin slayers, for reasons she still does not understand.

* * *

On the first day, she sees Fairy Tail back.

None of them has aged a day…or rather, seven years.

Because of this, Yukino is now a year older than _her._

Lucy Heartfilia.

Of course, she knows who the greatest Celestial Spirit Wizard of their time.

 _Everyone_ knows of Lucy Heartfilia.

Any Celestial Mages, anyway.

Lucy Heartfilia. Owner of nine of the twelve golden keys.

 _No_.

Yukino freezes. That isn't true anymore.

She counts _ten_ golden keys on the ring Lucy sports.

Yukino looked down at her own Zodiacs.

All the Zodiacs are together, now. Or will be, after the Games.

She smiles.

Lucy Heartfilia is certainly a mage to look up too.

* * *

When Lucy Heartfilia uses Gemini to copy herself, and starts the spell for Urano Metria, Yukino gets even more excited.

She'd only ever _heard_ of the spell, and thought it was a myth, until now.

It is glorious, and Yukino wonders if _she'd_ ever be able to pull off a spell like that.

And then, right as the spell is about to finish, it stops.

 _What_? Yukino thinks.

Lucy Heartfilia, as confused as most of the mages are, falls to the ground, almost slowly, as if in disbelief.

 _That's not right_ , Yukino thinks. _Her magic was steadily building, it doesn't just die out like that without interference._

But the commentators doesn't call them out on it, and so Raven Tail gets their points.

Someone is sabotaging Fairy Tail, and (based on what happened throughout the day) it is pretty easy to guess who.

Yukino tells herself not to care. They're her enemies. And she's in _Sabertooth_.

But she will always care about Lucy Heartfilia.

* * *

By the time the second day arrives, Yukino knows that Sting and Rogue feel infinitely more familiar than they should.

Her pull to be there with them is too strong. When she walks beside them into the arena when the Games starts, she feels déjà vu; that things are like they should be.

And even though Orga and Rufus are okay, she feels as if they are not the last two who should be by their sides.

* * *

She walks onto the field, feeling nervous. It's her first time representing Sabertooth in a public arena.

 _Are you watching, Lucy Heartfilia?_

She hopes her idol of seven years is impressed by her.

Maybe by winning, she can avenge Celestial Spirit Wizards who are called weak everywhere. Avenge Lucy, for all of the horrible things that were said to her when she lost the previous day.

* * *

When Yukino makes the bet, it is for a few reasons.

To live up to Sabertooth's name.

And to stop both her, and her guild, from getting into any trouble if she _does_ end up killing the girl.

Considering the size of Pisces, it is a possibility; one that had to be taken seriously.

But this girl is strong; almost _too_ strong.

Stronger than gravity.

She brings out her trump card, and even Ophiuchus cannot stand to the might of the mermaid.

* * *

Kagura doesn't kill her.

She lets her live, and Yukino doesn't know what's worse.

But as she is made to strip, and leave Sabertooth, she thinks she knows the answer.

No one stands up for her, and she's not surprised by that.

Not even Sting and Rogue, and that's why being banned from Sabertooth hurts the most.

She had to leave, and they let her, without even a goodbye. Yukino feels like she shouldn't leave. Like she should stay by their sides.

Maybe that's why, later, she takes up Arcadios's offer – so she has an excuse to stay in Crocus, and watch the games.

She doesn't want to leave the two of them.

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia turns down her keys.

The girl gives Yukino good reasoning, but Yukino is shocked, and slightly saddened.

She's heard rumor, of course; spirits hope that their gate keys end up in the hands of Lucy Heartfilia.

While Libra and Pisces are happy with their contract with her, she knows they want to join the rest of the Zodiacs.

No one wants her.

Even the government, when they turn to her, don't really want her; they want a Celestial Spirit Mage, and she is the only one available.

* * *

No one wants her.

She knows that.

Sabertooth doesn't want her.

Sting and Rogue don't want her (and God, watching them later in the Games is heartbreaking).

Her spirits don't want her.

Nobody wants her.

When she dreams, she can hear her parents who never wanted her in the first place.

No, her _adoptive_ parents.

Because that's what they were.

On the night she is excommunicated, she falls asleep curled up and crying, and wishing for her sister; or at least, since her sister couldn't be there now, more memories of their time together.

She got her wish.

"I'm telling you, we shouldn't keep her anymore. All she is nothing but a problem child! She brings bad luck to this family, Sorano!"

Yukino sat outside under the window, quietly crying. They didn't know she was there, and that she could hear everything they said.

"She's my sister! You can't abandon her!"

With that, Yukino swore to always put her sister before everything.

"Just because she looks like you doesn't mean she's your sister!"

"I found her, that means I get to keep her!"

"It doesn't work that way! We don't want her in this house anymore!"

Her 'father' had found her outside, overhearing, and she was punished for eavesdropping before she wakes up, her heart racing and knowing that those weren't dreams, but memories.

Everything she had seen was true.

Though she looks a lot like her sister, she isn't hers. Not by blood.

Her sister had found her wandering, alone, and convinced her parents to take her in.

But her sister's parents didn't want her.

No one did.

* * *

 **The epilogue will be around the time the Gate starts opening, and will have a bunch of shifting viewpoints, including Yukino and Mira's moment, which is why it wasn't in here.**

 **As for Yukino and her spirits...I believe that they do love being contracted to Yukino, and she just didn't really realize that until the Eclipse arc was over.**

 **But those are the type of thoughts that creep in when you're depressed.**


	5. Wendy

***on the 3rd night of Chanukah, the-real-narnia gave to me:**

 **A chapter on Wendy!***

 **(I know it's been awhile, please don't kill me. The next chapter will also be up by the end of Chanukah.)**

* * *

 **Wendy**

Wendy doesn't remember her parents – no one other than Grandeeney.

But she does remember that at the time she met Grandeeney, she still remembered them, even a tiny bit.

Which is why she was stubborn in accepting Grandeeney's offer as her pupil.

She should have accepted right away. After all, a _dragon_ was asking _her_ to be her pupil.

But there was something wrong with that sentence. It felt _wrong_.

As if she should be running and crying from a dragon; as if her entire being cautioned her against being there.

But Grandeeney seemed nice enough, and Wendy's tiny three-year-old body wasn't going to do a good job at running away from a fully grown dragon.

Still; Wendy didn't want to stay there. She wanted to return to her parents, who she knows, for some odd, unexplainable reason, she cannot return to.

So with one sentence, Grandeeney got her vote.

She still doesn't know why, even now.

But when Grandeeney told her that Sky Magic wields the power of the heavens, Wendy knew there was no chance of her turning away.

And something about that sentence, about that last part – _the heavens_ – made her change her mind, and so she accepted Grandeeney's offer, and became a dragon slayer.

* * *

By the time Grandeeney disappears, Wendy remembers almost nothing of her parents.

Nothing other than a vivid, scarlet red.

But then, the same day, she comes across a boy.

She doesn't know what it is about him that seems so familiar, but her newly-made inner dragon is crying _'family_ ' and ' _kin_ ', and so she listens. She doesn't know him, but she runs forward and hugs that boy with all of her might, and she tries her hardest to never let go.

He accepts her easily, and Jellal takes her on his journey with him. The days she travels with him are some of the best in her life, and she feels like she's one step closer to finding her family.

But he needs to go (he leaves her, just like Grandeneey, just like her _parents_ ) and then he's gone.

* * *

The next time she hears of him, it's been seven years, and all she gets are rumors.

Rumors that couldn't possibly be true – because that wasn't who he _was_.

The next time she _sees_ him, he's hanging from a cross, hovering between life and death, and she already knows she going to heal him, no matter what happens. Even with the rumors, even with Happy _confirming_ the rumors, she will heal him. Because he is _family_. Because he is _kin_.

Wendy has already healed Jellal; she barely has enough energy to heal another, but she does it anyways, because it's _Erza_ and she's _dying_.

There's no other option to it.

And then everyone is separated.

* * *

Jellal doesn't remember her.

Her _family_ (her third, now) doesn't _remember_ her.

Her dragon is crying inside, and she tries not to show it, because Carla (part of her fourth family) will scold her on it, and so she keeps quiet.

He doesn't remember Erza, either, and if anything, it seems to hurt _her_ even more.

Erza _Scarlet_ …Her brightly colored hair is the thing of dreams, and once again, Wendy's dragon is claiming her as family.

Something about this boy is different from the last Jellal she spoke with; maybe it's the fact that he doesn't have his memories.

But looking at Erza and Jellal standing there together, even after fighting, and their horrid past (if what Happy speaks of is true) seems almost awe-inspiring.

They look _right_ together.

* * *

When it comes time to destroy the lacrima simultaneously, Jellal takes her aside and asks her to destroy one.

Wendy doesn't know what to say; hell, she doesn't know what to think.

This man doesn't remember her; doesn't remember _anything_ , and still trusts her to do this the right way?

She'll mess up. She knows she will; she has never learned offensive magic, she's always been a support mage, and a healer.

She's out of her depth, here.

But she's also been out of her depth since she was sent to take down the Oracion Seis, and something tells her she has no choice.

And when he says that word again ('the _heavens'_ ) she knows that she'll be able to do it.

She manages to destroy the lacrima, and realizes that she might just be more than a support mage, someday.

The group of them, with the exception of the ones on Christina, meet up again after Nirvana collapses.

Wendy is completely and utterly happy, especially once Hoteye appears with Jellal and Natsu. Jellal, who believed in her, and Natsu, who kept his promise.

Her guild is safe.

And that means the world to her.

* * *

Her world comes crashing down seconds later.

Hoteye is arrested, and she feels it's unfair, but she's also twelve; she knows that the soldiers won't listen to her.

But when they turn to collect Jellal, she can't help but beg and cry.

Part of her wants to scream ' _not again_ ', but this feels so much different, and so much _worse._

The other Jellal – the one she spent weeks with traveling, and nights curled up with – left of his own will, and the thought of it still leaves her heart aching today. But this Jellal…he didn't know her. She didn't really know him. But he feels even closer than before, and she can't let that connection disappear again.

It's to her surprise when it's _Erza_ that calls off everyone's attacks.

But they stop fighting, trying to keep Jellal with them, and Jellal, who has already accepts his punishment, gets ready to leave.

But on his way out, he stops and looks at Erza, telling her 'it was the color of his hair', before he is taken away.

The color of Erza's hair. Wendy knows that it means something, but she doesn't know what. But it appears in her dreams, and in her heart, and she doesn't want to lose this girl, either.

Erza disappears and Wendy follows her, before coming across the girl crying on a cliff.

Wendy wants to help, but she doesn't know; instead, she stays there quietly as her thoughts drift back to Jellal.

Before they were separated ( _again_ ), he had told her that he was glad he did one nice thing before.

Looking back, she realizes that he didn't. Or at least, he didn't with _her_.

She had realized it when he said it; something told her that even if he did ever recover his memories, he still wouldn't remember _her_.

This Jellal felt different from the last Jellal, but she tries to stop thinking such things, because that just didn't make sense.

* * *

They return to her guild, where her new friends are dressed in Cait Shelter's cloths and textiles, which they export.

Her friends want to celebrate their victory, and Wendy doesn't see anything wrong with it. She sings and dances with them, and it takes awhile to sink in that her guild isn't joining in.

Stopping, Wendy looks at them and feels her blood ice over at their solemn glances.

They shouldn't be sad; they were _saved_ , they were _happy._

And then Roubal reveals the truth, and they disappear, one by one, until his last words are hanging in the air, about her finding _real_ friends.

And once again, she had lost her family.

She's sobbing on the ground, uncontrollable tears at losing yet _another_ family (her fourth one, now), when Erza's hand ends up on her shoulder. The support seems almost motherly, and it gives Wendy enough hope to try one more time.

Fairy Tail is a family, they said.

Those words rung true to her bones, and she believed it so much she opened her heart once more, even though she should probably know better by now.

Something about the number five seemed right, too.

Maybe this time around, her fifth time, things would turn out better.

* * *

There is a place called Edolas, and it's an alternate world; a world the Jellal that _she_ knew came from.

The Jellal of her childhood is not the Jellal she had met, and even though she has spent more time with this Jellal than Erza's Jellal, her bond with him isn't as strong.

She doesn't know why, but for some reason, her inner-dragon insists on _her_ world's Jellal, even though she doesn't know him.

Edolas's Jellal also goes by the name Mystogan, and so it seemed her third family was already a part of her fifth family; he was a member of Fairy Tail.

She doesn't know how she's supposed to feel about that, or any of it.

All she knows is that she has to say goodbye _again_ , and she's getting really sick and tired of losing so many people.

* * *

Wendy wakes up after seven years, and it takes her awhile to fully comprehend what had happened. They had fought Grimoire Heart, and then Master Hades, and then _Acnologia_.

That dragon brought back a fear in her heart; one that she had thought vanished long ago. Fear she had felt the first time she met Grandeeney, back when her instincts screamed of nothing but danger and pain when faced with a dragon.

She had survived, and if feels like she shouldn't have.

She feels like she's living on numbered days.

In a way, she is. She's already missed so much in the past seven years; hell, they came back to a new guildhall and a new child.

She tries not to feel to jealous when she watches Asuka run around, playing with her toy guns and her parents, but she wishes that she had memories of her own parents that way.

Wendy knows that wouldn't ever happen. Even if she remembers her parents, something told her that they could have never been that carefree with her. For some reason, they could've never been that happy.

She just wishes she knew why.

* * *

Fairy Tail has decided that they want to climb back to the top (she can't really blame them) and Wendy ends up on the team meant to bring their honor back.

She doesn't know why, but she accepts it, because surely Master Makarov knows best?

They go to Porlyusica in hopes that she might help them get stronger, but she has nothing for Team Natsu; only something for Wendy.

The healer gives her Secret Arts left behind from Grandeeney, and Wendy tries not to cry at the familiar feeling of her second family.

She's been running into all of her family, lately. Mystogan/Jellal, Porlyusica (the Edolas Grandeeney)…it made her wonder if she'd somehow run into her first family, and finally get to meet them.

Even though they're supposed to be lost to her, she also feels like she's not too far off the mark.

They still only have three months to train – to try and become as magically strong as their competitors have become in the last seven years – but that passes by in a day, too, because time in the Spirit World moves differently.

And then their savior comes.

* * *

As shocking as the seven year time gap was, sometimes it felt like she would forget about it. She would look at her old friends, and some of them don't _look_ like it's been seven years.

So when she sees Jellal again, she doesn't realize at first that it's been a few months since she and Erza has seen him, and several years since he has seen them.

He remembers everything he had done to Erza and he doesn't want to be _free;_ from the sound of it, he wants to die.

Wendy doesn't want that. She refuses to lose _more_ of her family, and brings up that he can make up for his sins, now that he's awake and free.

He doesn't really answer. Instead, he and the rest of Crime Sorciere speak of a power reminiscent of Zeref at the Grand Magic Games, and how they want them to look into it.

Wendy is starting to get really tired of Zeref, too.

But of course, they were going to do it anyway.

At least Ultear gives them 'compensation' – unlocking their Second Origin, to make them stronger.

They have less than a week until the Games, but if she really does get stronger by this, then maybe she's be able to learn at least one of the Secret Arts in time for the competition.

It looks painful watching Natsu go through the process, but she goes through it anyway too.

She doesn't get a chance to say goodbye – Crime Sorciere leaves when they're still recovering from their Second Origin being unleashed – but she knows she'll see them again, soon.

* * *

The beginning of the Games was a mess.

First, she and Carla misses the entirety of the beginning of the Games because of Raven Tail.

There's also the whole _modeling_ thing between Mira and Jenny, but Wendy's blocked that out of her mind.

And lastly, they're straight up _kidnapped_ out of the infirmary.

Not to mention Carla's been acting weird.

Anyway, Porlyusica says that she's not allowed to use her magic until she recovers, and so she doesn't.

Instead, on the second day, Elfman manages to withstand Bacchus long enough to win, and she's placed back on the team.

Her fight with Chelia is exhausting, and she's glad she managed to scrape up a tie. It's only afterwards that she hears that Jellal went back for her, even though he was specifically avoiding the stadium because Lahar and other Rune Knights were there.

She doesn't quite know what to make of that.

She hasn't spent much time with Jellal, and _he_ didn't have the same type of inner dragon identifying the other as family, so Wendy's not quite sure _why_ he cares for her so much, but she knows it means something to her, and it makes her smile.

* * *

The fourth day is another rollercoaster. Lucy gets hurt ( _beaten,_ _ **tortured-**_ ) in the first act, and Wendy elects to stay with her rather than watch Natsu and Gajeel's match with the 'Twin Dragons'.

Wendy is tired of all the fighting.

Though she knows it's more than that. There's also something odd in the way her dragon rears its head inside her, as if it knows on an intrinsically deep level that it was _wrong_ , and that they shouldn't be fighting with each other, not like this.

So she doesn't watch.

She tries to judge the events by the sounds she hears instead, and celebrates with Lucy over Natsu and Gajeel's victory.

Or, over _Natsu's_ victory.

Because the day isn't over, and Gajeel isn't done. He finds a graveyard of dragons, and they can't help but go looking.

None of the skeletons are recent enough to be any of their dragons, but that doesn't reassure Wendy by much; it still means that for some reason, many dragons died there, and a palace was built on top of it.

And all of a sudden, a few things click into place. For one, she begins to realize that Milky Way is a support spell; to help support dragon souls to finish their remaining wishes.

But everything else happens to quickly for her to understand.

She doesn't hear what happens while she's busy casting the spell, but all of a sudden, the Yukino girl from Sabertooth is there, along with a general in the army, and they're taken to something else, a Gate that makes her want to recoil from the power it gives off, from the magical presence that seems familiar, _too familiar_ -

And then Natsu is hurt and Arcadios and Lucy and Yukino are _gone_ , and she can't help feeling that everything was only going to get worse from here on out.


	6. Romeo

***on the sixth night of Chanukah the-real-narnia gave to me:**

 **another chapter on the time-traveling thing...***

 **^yeah, I dunno.**

 **It'll be awhile before the first part of the epilogue is up. Yes, _first_ part. It will definitely be split into multiple parts, because it'll probably end up doubling the size of this story. Just letting you know.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Romeo**

In his dreams, there's a Before, and an After.

He's not quite sure what the Before is, or even what the Middle is, but the After is Fairy Tail.

Nice and simple.

Right?

Except he thinks that the Before might have been Fairy Tail, too, but it can't; because the memories of Before are wrought with fear and screams and things that make it hard for him to go back to sleep.

Before, it was like the world was on fire. Everything was in chaos.

And then the Middle, it was just…cold. Not in a bad way. A comforting way.

That should've been the first sign.

And then afterwards, even though it _was_ Fairy Tail…it was calm. Peaceful. Still, like a quiet lake.

Until Lucy came and started making waves.

(He didn't blame Lucy, not really. He actually really liked her, but he can't deny that _a lot_ started happening once she showed up. Almost as if they were getting ready to put on a performance, and they'd all been practicing for weeks and Lucy had been practicing on her own, shut off from the rest of them, but now that she was there the show had to go on anyway, even if she didn't really know the dance).

At that point, it wasn't still water anymore. It was a storm.

He didn't have much problems with that, either. He liked storms. He found the rain comforting, found the snow peaceful.

That should've been the second sign.

* * *

The hurricane Lucy left in her wake wasn't that bad, surprisingly enough. They got some more new members, and something about all of them felt important. Something about Gajeel's weird laugh seemed familiar, something with Wendy connected but with Juvia…

Well, Romeo didn't spend a lot of time with Juvia.

He never really spent a lot of time with all of the guild members. Mostly Natsu and Cana, and Happy and Lucy, once she came along. Gray sometimes, but he's always had a bit of a weird feeling when it came to Gray.

His dad said it was disappointment. Apparently, when Romeo had been really, _really_ little, he had taken more of a liking to Gray's quiet than Natsu.

Romeo didn't get along with Natsu, as a baby. Hearing it now was odd, but Romeo could see the truth in it. Romeo was quiet, as a child, and Natsu was loud… _always_.

But Romeo had always been a bit more reserved.

Over time, though, Gray rejected him - 'moody little punk that he is', Macao said – and Romeo moved to Natsu, who was friendly and maybe a bit loud but was also a lot of fun…if destructive. But Natsu was never his first choice.

According to his dad, he looked up to the other kid, the quiet moody kid who only ever got loud and angry when Natsu was involved.

So he had a weird feeling around Gray, and he had one around Juvia, too.

She gave him an eerie sense of calm, for all that he stayed away from her. But at one point, her and Gray ended up doing a Unison Raid to stop a bunch of robot dinosaurs from a crazy lady named Daphne (he was still a bit confused on that), and Romeo could swear it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

That should've been the third sign.

And then; Natsu and Lucy, Gray and Juvia, Cana and Wendy; they were all gone, and he stopped keeping count.

* * *

As he got older, Romeo looked less and less like his parents. Maybe it was because Macao's face also changed, but he stopped looking like his father - if he ever really did. Maybe it was because Romeo never smiled – he hadn't since the S Class trials and they lost so much of their family. But it could've just been that he looked different. He looks neither like his father or his mother; from afar, yes, there's a passing resemblance. But Macao's hair is a dark blue, and Romeo's hair is so dark a purple it's nearly black. Enno, his mother, has a purple tint in her hair, yes, but her hair has a base of light brown. The shades don't match.

But sometimes genetics were _weird_ , so maybe it didn't matter.

That would've been the fourth sign.

If he was counting.

* * *

The fifth sign gives it away, and with the return of the Tenrou Team comes the return of Romeo's count.

1\. He found the cold comforting

2\. He liked the rain

3\. Water, Ice and fused Water and Ice Magic was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

4\. He didn't look like his parents.

The fifth sign is his magic.

Magic doesn't always pass through bloodlines, but from what history says, it's been known to build up. While some bloodlines were 'gifted' their magic from something else, a regular family can develop an affinity for magic by learning the same magic repeatedly over generations. Over time, the Ethernano becomes attuned to the magic and the blood running through their veins, which is why kids who have different primary magic usually has a family magic as a secondary.

He's been taught this in school, for years and years, but it isn't until he overhears Lucy one day that he puts the pieces together.

Lucy's mother was a Celestial Mage. So was Lucy.

Macao's family wields Purple Fire.

Romeo doesn't.

He struggles with learning Purple Fire at first, but he's _going_ to do it, for his Dad. It was a family magic, and so he was going to learn it.

He even tries different types of fire. It wasn't easy, so he admittedly went to Totomaru for help, and Totomaru-sensei teaches him about 'Rainbow Fire' to see if he's just learning something wrong.

But he's not. His Purple Fire isn't _meant_ to be his, because he _doesn't_ really have an affinity for it, he just _makes it work_ because he has no other choice and he's not quite ready to face the rest of the guild yet.

To face his Dad. Romeo learned Purple Fire for _him_ , and when they find out that his Purple Fire is barely an acceptable level for secondary magic, that'll also give away the truth.

And really, Romeo has always sort of known the truth, he just didn't understand what it meant until then.

But fire…fire isn't the right element, and that should've been obvious from the start.

* * *

Alone, these things stand out, but put together, it can only mean one thing.

He knows that Macao isn't his father.

Magic mimics the inside, and while he's always been a bit rash, he wasn't 'hot-headed' like Natsu. If anything, he was more like an avalanche, building up until one thing took it too far, like when Twilight Ogre attacked them for what could only be the last time, because Romeo _couldn't stand it_.

Even though he wasn't anywhere near strong enough to beat them, and would've been crushed to a pulp if the Tenrou Team hadn't returned.

And Romeo gets it now.

And when Romeo tells Natsu about learning fire and Natsu tries some of _his_ Purple Fire and tells him it's _cold_ (which it's not supposed to be), he knows he can't really deny it any longer.

He's not supposed to be fire.

If Romeo does have an element, it'll be Ice, and the only reason he's done so well with Purple Fire was probably because it can at least become physical.

* * *

Romeo tries telling himself that he's not jealous of the new girl in Twilight Ogre.

It's not working.

He knows it's not true.

He's not jealous of her for stupid reasons; it's not because she's in _Twilight Ogre_ , or because she's a _girl_. He doesn't have a crush on her, like his dad thinks.

But he wasn't sure _why_ he was jealous of her until now, when the rest of the guild returned.

He's jealous of her because she can wield two elements at the time.

More specifically, she can wield fire _and_ ice, and _wow_ , does Romeo wish he could, too.

He remembers Natsu saying his flames were cold.

Cold.

He _knows_ that he has a connection to it.

He _knows_ he's using the wrong element.

But he doesn't know what to do about it.

The arrival of Lucy's cousin heralds another whole storm which could lead to Catastrophic Events™ if they fail (which seems like a common thing). Again, he wonders what Lucy's life was like _before_ she joined the guild.

He joins the others and help them fight, but it still feels like it doesn't add up. He's not comfortable wielding his Fire Magic anymore (if he ever was) and now that he knows the truth, it also feels like he has no choice.

* * *

Thanks to his prodding, they've joined the Grand Magic Games again this year. Romeo's a lot more confident now that everyone's back, and he's sure that they'll win.

Even so, they get off to a rough start, with Raven Tail sabotaging Wendy and Lucy and Gray, which pisses him off.

The second day is a bit better; they establish themselves as the underdog, at least, and everyone knows you root for the underdog (except maybe Natsu and Gajeel, who probably wouldn't have volunteered to make themselves into martyrs if they understood everything – well, maybe Natsu).

The third day is the best. Erza kicks the ass of one hundred monsters, Cana breaks a magic-measuring machine by overloading it, and Laxus takes down Raven Tail's entire cheating team (including his father).

That's one huge menace out of the way, at least, but Sabertooth steps up to plate, too.

Yukino is new, and she seems almost nice, if a tad arrogant – well, until she loses, that is.

Minerva hurts Lucy (which always seemed to be the best way to get the guild to attack you, so maybe she wanted a war) and when Natsu and Gajeel step out on the field to tag-team up against Sting and Rogue, Romeo is struck by how similar each pair looked to each other, even if Sting's hair is the wrong color for Natsu.

He spent the entire battle with bated breath, and he wanted them to _stop_ fighting but the point of these Games were to fight, and he's always been fine with fighting so _why was it a problem now_?

The fight finishes, and they return to celebrate at the hotel. Gajeel is still missing, but Romeo is sure that everything will be fine.

* * *

He wakes up later that night to find out it isn't.

There's an emergency meeting, because Lucy and the Sabre girl were arrested, and Natsu was sick, and everything was out of control.

The first half hour is pretty much spent fighting, everyone yelling at one another, before finally, they come to a decision.

Romeo doesn't like it. But he doesn't like any of this.

It almost seems like everything's coming to a climax now.

* * *

It's the final battle. Natsu and Wendy and Mira are saving Lucy and Yukino, and Juvia had taken Natsu's position in the games.

He tries not to think about Natsu and Wendy and Lucy as he watches his guildmates fight, watches Juvia and Gray do another Unison Raid.

Just like it was seven years ago, it's possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

And Romeo thinks that he might just cry.

And then they win, and he _does_ cry, and he thinks, just for a moment; that everything is going to be alright.

He really should've known better.


End file.
